In this sponsored post, Dr Alexander Burns offers tips on how to stay fit during these changing times. 

DURING these changing times, it’s very important to be maintaining fitness in terms of both physical and psychological health, and Dr Alexander Burns of Orthopaedics ACT has tips on how to do just that.

Dr Burns is just one member of the experienced team of surgeons, nurses and medical administrators at Orthopaedics ACT, who are committed to providing both non-surgical and surgical excellence to patients in partnership with referring GP’s and other allied health providers.

When it comes to non-surgical offerings, such as exercise, he says: “Exercise, particularly weight-bearing or resisted muscular exercise, has been shown to reduce weakening of the bones, improve mental health and has various other beneficial health improvements.

“It is important to have exercises which are appropriate for your own age and level of strength and fitness. 

“Starting gently and gradually building up in terms of both the amount of resisted exercise and distance, and level of exertion is the most sensible and safe way of getting into fitness right now.”

Dr Burns says that while not everybody can or indeed wants to run a marathon, the most important thing to consider is that most people have the ability to do more than they currently do.

“Yoga and pilates is a low impact, course debility, muscle strengthening and joint flexibility touch of exercise, which many people enjoy,” he says.

“Bootcamp or personal training is something that many people enjoy and most authorised personal trainers are very switched on to the individual needs of their clients, so as not to push them too hard.

“Exercise that you enjoy and that gets your heart rate up a bit, makes you more flexible, stronger and fitter than you are now is the best type of exercise.”

In light of the upcoming World Osteoporosis Day on October 20, Orthopaedics ACT is also aiming to bring more awareness to the condition.

“Osteoporosis is a disease where the density of the bone reduces and it leaves the person at risk of broken bones,” says Dr Burns.

“The majority of people will have no symptoms of osteoporosis, but it’s more common in older people, ladies after menopause, people who have been on steroids like prednisone, and people with poor nutrition or smokers.

“Fixing a broken wrist, hip, or spine is something that we do every day should you need it, but it is much more important to be diagnosed early and then treated appropriately either by your GP or an endocrinologist.”

Orthopaedics ACT, Woden Specialist Medical Centre, level 2, 90 Corinna Street, Phillip. Call 6221 9320 or visit orthoact.com.au